Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Kreidler recovering from planned heart surgery

Kreidler’s doctors had been
monitoring his heart status over the past several months, leading to the
scheduled bypass and valve-replacement surgery, performed Monday at Providence
St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

“The commissioner was upbeat and
confident about the operation,” said Sandi Peck, Deputy Insurance Commissioner
for Public Affairs. “He called our office this morning, and he sounds as if
he’s well on the road to recovery. As a staunch advocate for health care
reform, he’s definitely looking forward to getting back to work.”

During Kreidler’s recovery, Acting
Chief Deputy Deb McCurley will be handling the commissioner’s duties. McCurley
has been the deputy insurance commissioner for operations since 2006.

“The consumers we serve and
industry professionals we regulate shouldn’t notice any changes,” said
McCurley. “We have a dedicated, professional staff, many of whom have long
experience dealing with insurance.”

Kreidler, 69, was re-elected to a
fourth four-year term in November 2012. He is a former member of Congress,
state lawmaker and doctor of optometry.